


The Assasin's Daughter

by Impala_Cherry_Trickster



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Father Bucky Barnes, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gods, Human Experimentation, Hydra (Marvel), Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, M/M, Mutants, Nightmares, Stormbreaker - Freeform, Uncle Steve Rogers, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-25
Updated: 2019-04-25
Packaged: 2020-01-31 18:58:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18597427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Impala_Cherry_Trickster/pseuds/Impala_Cherry_Trickster
Summary: Genevieve Barnes has many issues, HYDRA her main one. Can her new family help, or will they end up making it worse?





	1. Scotland

It wasn’t a particularly pleasant evening. The wind was rattling the beams of the building, rain dripping between the broken roof tiles, forming small puddles on the dirt ground. The smell wasn’t that much better, the combination of wet straw and rotting vegetables ruined by the weather. The girl observed the mountain of rotted produce, sighing in disappointment. Scotland, as it turned out, was apparently not the best place to start life. It was difficult, and all the money she had was wasted on a pile of nothingness that was sitting by her feet. Kicking at a rotten turnip, she turned to look out of one of the shattered windows, watching the sun set over the valley. It was pretty, if you could overlook the cold and the bleakness of the place. She supposed it was why she had picked this location, the chance of running away and hiding.

At twenty-one, it wasn’t like she had a brilliant future in front of her. Despite her above average intelligence, she had never been to school. Her mentor was long-dead, her family along with it. Genevieve wasn’t an idiot, she was aware that her father was alive, and that he may be able to help her. The issue was, she wasn’t even sure her father knew she existed. He had enough problems without her trying to ask for assistance. The pile of rotten turnips long forgotten, the girl turned and climbed the ladder to the barn’s hay store, the driest place on the property. Wet boots left on the final step, she shuffled under the mountain of blankets she had dragged up and tucked herself in, ignoring the howling wind and thrashing rain, ignoring the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Upon waking, the girl knew something wasn’t right. The rain had stopped, but the wind was continuing to batter the building. It was not yet light, shadows hanging to the barn as she rose her head. Instinctively, her hand reached for the gun tucked under the blankets, as well as the knife strapped to her thigh. It was too quiet inside the barn, not a single sound. Rolling back onto her heels, Genevieve loaded the gun as quietly as possible, aiming towards the stairs to the loft. Time trickled by, until the girl convinced herself that it was calm. She was over-reacting, a habit of growing up looking over your shoulder, nothing was actually out there. The boots were where she had left them, cold against her toasty feet as she headed down the steps.

The barn was empty, except for the goat sitting in the corner as it always did. She chuckled, reaching a hand out to stroke the creature. It seemed happy to reciprocate the affection, before the slightest tensing of the muscles had her spinning and raising her gun. It was knocked from her hands, a fist swinging towards her head. The goat bleated helplessly as she ducked the blow, throwing the person headfirst into the wooden pen. One unfortunate spike went straight through the stomach, blood gurgling as he tried to save himself. The second figure appeared from the shadows, firing a shot that she rolled from. Recovering the gun, Genevieve fired three shots that took the man down. Technically, the second two shots weren’t necessary, but it was how she had been trained.

The gun-shot to the shadows took the third man out who had been waiting for the opportunity to fight, before she rose her head and scanned the room. Three dead, a goat that had been shot in the cross fire and was now stained dark red, and the unmistakeable HYDRA weapon on the floor. The girl shuddered, pausing to pick up the gun before grabbing what little possessions she had that were scattered around the barn. Making sure to keep the gun loaded, the girl snuck out into the wind. It would be hard to fire from distance with the wind, but it also kept her relatively silent. A truck was parked just up the lane, hidden behind a scattering of trees. One man was in the truck, tapping his hand on the steering wheel as he appeared to be singing.

Genevieve chuckled, slipping further into the undergrowth to keep herself hidden as she approached. Raising the gun, she aimed towards his head, before the glass shattered. The man slumped backwards, blood spraying across the back seats of the truck as he fell still. Lowering the gun, she tucked herself down as she waited to see who took the shot, after all, it hadn’t been her. Remaining hidden, Gen watched as two people stalked across to the truck. The first, a man who had a gun pressed against his thigh and a bow slung over his shoulder, admired the shot and checked the man was dead. He made quick work of it, keeping his eyes peeled as he scanned the surroundings of the van. His accomplice, a red-headed woman who had her gun out, presumably the one who had taken the shot, was staring in the direction of the barn.

‘HYDRA is already here, Cap. No idea if the girl is still inside.’  The man said, his voice relatively low as he walked back to his partner. Gen watched the woman glance in her direction, for a second wondering if the woman could see her, before the two stalked off in the direction of the barn. Figuring that she had very little time before they returned, Gen stood up from the bush and slunk off into the trees, avoiding the track that would undoubtedly lead to the transport that the two Agents had used.

Three miles into the woodlands, the girl paused as she heard the unmistakeable sound of engines. Her gaze turned to the night-sky, watching as the Jet took off, disappearing into the clouds. The symbol was an equal mixture of worrying and reassuring, after all the Avengers were on the right side of Gen’s opinion. Anyone who killed HYDRA agents were in her good books, although if they knew who she was, that might be an issue. Resting down against the tree, the girl pulled her phone from the bag, ensuring the encryption was still on it before she made the call. It only rung twice before it connected, surprising considering the location.

‘Good afternoon, Gen.’ The voice was one that she trusted enough with the current situation, although it could change considering the circumstances.

‘I need to leave. Can you get me to France?’ A country she hadn’t been to in a while, but one that she knew well enough to be able to hide. Plus, HYDRA did have a very stubborn dislike of entering France. Amusing, considering the group were made of a bunch of old Nazi leaders who had invaded the country in the first place.

‘They found you? That’s a new record.’ The voice seemed shocked, but Gen had learnt not to underestimate the power of HYDRA. They were smart, resourceful, and had successfully managed to infiltrate SHIELD without the famous Fury realising.

‘Just get me out of here, Will.’ A pause from my only living relative besides my father, before he agreed verbally. Like me, my half-brother was smart. We shared a Brainiac of a mother, although her ambitions had got her killed in the end.

‘On it. Anywhere in particular in France?’ Will was currently in Mexico as far as she was concerned, hiding from HYDRA just as she was. To aid self-preservation, he stayed away from her. He may be hunted, but it was nothing compared to the force coming after Gen. The thought made her smile slightly, before she continued,

‘Marseille, if you can.’ A hum of agreement, before her brother returned with news of plane tickets and a secure location in the city. Thanking him, she hung up the phone and shoved it back into the bag, studying her location before setting off in the direction of the nearest road. If her plan to avoid HYDRA was to work, she would need to get out of Scotland pretty fast.


	2. Falling from trees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team desperately want to find the young Barnes.

*Compound*

Clint sunk into the chair, ignoring the slight ache in his muscles from falling into a tree. Natasha hadn’t stopped laughing for hours, until they had entered the room for the debriefing. Everyone was there, it was a top priority. Steve was sitting at the head of the table, attempting to reassure The Winter Soldier, who looked the most tense. Tony was being his typical self, sitting opposite the Cap and throwing jokes around as we waited for everyone to sit. Wanda came through the doors, taking a seat between Bruce and Thor, looking relatively small between the two. Vision would not attend the meeting, which was probably for the best as he could be a little… blunt. Sam sat next to Loki and Bucky, looking between the two as if to judge the bigger threat.

‘We’ve lost her. Again.’ The Cap looked annoyed, glancing across to his friend to try and reassure him that it was possible to find the wayward child. Clint had seen the state of the barn, knew that the kid was an excellent killer, who obviously hated HYDRA just as much as her father. It didn’t make it any better, none of the team knew how much HYDRA had managed to turn her.

‘Capsicle, I have eyes everywhere. She’ll pop up again.’ Tony remarked, and Clint knew he was the one who was least fond of the idea of a mini Winter Soldier running around. He had only just forgiven Bucky for his parents, another Barnes in the midst? Not a good idea.

‘Any lead on the mother?’ The awkward topic, Bucky couldn’t remember the woman, even though he was aware of his daughter. Twenty-one, weird considering that he didn’t look that old.

‘None. Nor on any other family. We have barely anything, except a name and an age.’ That made Steve look to his friend, who was still staring at the table.

‘Sir, a call was made to the approximate location of Miss Barnes six hours ago from a house three miles outside the Capital of Mexico.’ F.R.I.D.A.Y. inputted, Tony giving her the order to track it to an exact location. It was a lead, even it was a pretty poor one. Clint raised his head to look to Natasha, who shrugged slightly. The only one who hadn’t vocally stated anything about Barnes having a child, seeing as she was trying to remain impartial.

‘Barton, Romanoff, Wilson, you three will take the house in Mexico. Stark, see if you can find where the call was made to, and keep an eye out for any movements of her. The rest of us will work on planning the next attack on HYDRA.’ And with that, the Captain left the room, shooting a look to Bucky that told him to follow. He did so, looking like a lost puppy as he followed them out.

‘I’ll say it, twenty bucks that they get together.’ Stark was hit over the head by Nat, who shot him a glare that accompanied it. Nobody in the team commented, the relationship between the two was entirely their own business, although it was slightly more than just the friendship both stated. If anything, this crisis had brought them closer to each other.

‘Meet you at the landing pad.’ Sam left the room, the rest of the team dispersing to do their jobs. Clint was quick to get ready, meeting the other two at the Quinjet. Natasha didn’t ask him if he was alright with the new mission, they both knew he had been called back because he was the only one who had children. Sam as pilot, the trio headed off in the direction of the household that they had been given.

‘You think we’ll ever find her?’ Sam asked, setting it to autopilot before joining them in the back. Romanoff remained quiet, leaving Clint to answer,

‘I hope so, we need to find her before HYDRA do.’ That was apparently the end of the conversation, nobody wanted to know what would happen if HYDRA got to the girl before they did. The flight was relatively short, landing two miles out before trekking the rest of the way. Running on a lack of sleep and adrenaline, Clint studied the building with the thermal imaging.

‘Only one in the house.’ Natasha nodded, giving the all-clear to Sam who landed on the building’s roof. Tucking the wings in, he headed to the fire escape as Nat took the rear door, leaving Clint the front entrance. Having practiced house-clearing hundreds of times, it was simple to storm the house, restraining the scrawny looking guy. Nat held him as he struggled, lashing out and crying as he attempted to break free.

One sharp hit to the side of the head left the man unconscious, Sam scooping him up and reporting that they had him, before the three headed back in the direction of the Jet. It had been simple, Nat had got the information from the laptop on her memory stick, the guy was restrained and they piloted back.

 

Steve walked into the room, the team watching from behind the mirror as he sat opposite the guy. At 5ft 8, blonde shaggy hair and bright blue eyes, he looked stunningly young. Big-rimmed glasses sat on his nose, certainly not HYDRA, definitely not that much of a threat. The Captain sat down, introducing himself to the man with his hands chained to the table.

‘You can’t keep me here.’ The man blurted, shaking slightly as he spoke. A glance to Natasha, the one who usually did the interrogating, told Clint that the man was genuinely terrified of him.

‘Easy, we don’t mean you any harm. Let’s start simple, what’s your name?’ The man stared up at the Captain, before looking down at his hands.

‘You’re after Genevieve.’ He apparently wasn’t used to being interrogated either, seeing as he had given away a massive piece of information.

‘You know her?’

‘You’re the Avengers. Meaning James Barnes is here, her father.’ Which meant she knew as well. The Captain agreed, before asking the relationship between the two.

‘I’m her half-brother. She won’t be too happy that you have me.’ He commented, looking suddenly rather relaxed as he leant back in the chair.

‘If you give me a phone, I can call her.’ Steve, ever the idiot, handed the phone right across. Nat tensed, but the entire team watched him type the number, putting it on speaker as he dialled. It was answered on the third ring.

‘Hello?’ The voice had an accent, heavily Russian, but the words were spoken in English.

‘Sister. I’ve been compromised. Yellow.’ The word apparently meant something, because the line went silent. After a pause, the voice came back.

‘Captain Rodgers, I suggest you release my sibling.’ The Captain stared at the brother, who looked awfully smug.

‘We’re looking to help you, Miss Barnes. If…’

‘It’s Morgan. I was married, please use that surname.’ More silence, the brother finally deciding to speak up.

‘Location seventeen, six hours Gen. I’ll see you soon.’ He hung up, looking to the Captain.

‘I can take you to meet her.’


	3. Marseille

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Genevieve meets Steve. HYDRA drop by for tea

*Marseille*

Genevieve sat at the Café, silently sipping from the hot chocolate as she watched the snipers set up on the roofs opposite. They wouldn’t shoot her, the Falcon had been ordered not to. She gave him a friendly wave, noting his surprise as she used her enhancements. Two men walked towards her, one undoubtedly her brother, next to him a towering hunk of blonde who was the Captain. Standing to greet them, she kissed her brother on his cheek before silently accepting the hand the man offered.

‘Ms. Morgan, my name is Captain Rodgers, but please, call me Steve.’ She gestured to the seats, nodding to the waitress who brought the order across. Her brother made light work of the hot chocolate, but she noted that the Captain looked more hesitant.

‘Please, Mr Rodgers, I would hardly poison my father’s lover.’ She took a gentle sip of the liquid, ignoring the choking sound the Captain made. She could hear laughter from the ear piece, as well as the dark gravelly voice of her father telling them to be silent.

‘Thank you for returning William. Although I must say, you run a high risk being here.’ Her eyes flicked to the sniper, wondering if he had full clearance of the location. Something didn’t seem right.

‘Why is it a risk?’ He seemed tense, as if he thought she would attack.

‘HYDRA is after me, ma Cherie, I’m sure that you’re aware.’ The French accent slipped through, rather unhelpfully. Will was now looking tense as well, picking up on the vibes she was giving off.

‘We can offer you protection. Bucky… your father… he wants to meet you.’ She sipped again, before she got sight of the movement. Her eyes focused on it, before she turned to Will.

‘What a lovely day for a stroll, 9 o’clock.’ Will ducked just as the gunfire went off, shattering the window behind them. She pulled Steve down, grabbing the gun from his belt before rolling over the table. The man was already running towards her, gun forgotten as he moved across the space. Screams told her that more were coming, but unfortunately for Gen the gun was utterly useless. They were wearing bullet-proof vests, and had helmets. It was still useful when she smashed it into his temple, swinging her leg up around his waist and twisting the body in time for the second man to hit it.

Dropping to the floor, knocking one unconscious before snapping the second one’s neck, ducking a fist that came flying. Will howled from the corner, letting her know that she had a gun on her. The bullet fired, her hand coming up to halt it mid-path. The HYDRA agents already knew about the mutation, so weren’t exactly surprised when she pulled up the shield around her brother and the Captain who had apparently been shot. More Avengers were moving, fighting the Agents who seemed to be swarming, while her brother tended to the shot man.

‘Genevieve, stand down!’ She turned, the world stilling as she studied the new sight. James Barnes was not what she expected, although she could see where she got the hair from. Pressed to hit knees, a gun pressed to his head, the remaining agents limped across to their boss. Gen knew this whole idea was stupid, the two of them together brought down forces that would drain most of her power.

‘I am quite sorry, Commander, I don’t think I will.’ Stretching her hand out, she concentrated on the man behind before pulling the molecules of his body apart. The man vaporised, turning to ash while the rest of the Agents fled, looking horrified. Gen swore colourfully in four languages as she rose a hand to her nose, feeling the blood that was dripping from it.

‘Genevieve, the Captain!’ Will was always right, sadly, so she headed across to where a man was attempting to put pressure on the wound. More people were gathering, presumably the team that were here to collect her, staring at the bullet in his chest.

‘Please, allow me Dr Banner.’ It accidently came out quite heavily in her French accent, but the Doctor moved his hands enough for her to place one over the bullet wound, summoning the metal to her. It worked, the bullet dislodged and the skin behind started to piece back together. The Captain watched, before Gen pulled back, the faintest red mark where the shot had been.

Will caught her before she fell, wrapping an arm comfortingly around her waist. It was the closest she would allow for anyone to get, but even so, her body tensed under the contact.

‘Can I point out, Gen, that next time you get forced into marriage, can you at least make sure that your husband isn’t a HYDRA agent?’ Rolling her eyes, she sunk into the chair next to them, putting her sunglasses on and tipping her head back. She was aware that people were talking, her brother assuring them that she was fine, it was just a lot of energy for her to use, before a clunk of metal made her open her eyes. Iron man, or Tony Stark, stood there as the suit unwrapped. Will charged, grabbing a butter knife as he ran in his direction.

Gen barely moved, her hand flicking as her brother skidded into an imaginary wall, hitting it but still thrashing as he attempted to reach the man. The team looked confused, obviously wondering if he was a threat.

‘Will, lay off.’

‘Genevieve, he killed our mother!’ He screamed, turning back to thrash at the wall. The man’s eyes widened, flicking a glance to Bucky before looking back to the screaming boy.

‘Nay, Brother. Insolence killed our mother, and she wasn’t exactly winning mother of the year award.’ Straightening herself, Gen brushed down the dirt and picked her gun up, walking back in the direction of her safe house.

‘Where are you going?’ Steve asked, the only one to risk stepping forwards.

‘Away from here.’ She gestured to the bodies and the blood, looking rather unsatisfied at the sight.

‘Come back with us.’ He offered, the sincerity in his eyes quite worrying.

‘It would be inappropriate.’

‘You’re family.’ She watched him, knowing he had included himself into the relationship between her and Bucky. The girl relaxed slightly, before walking back to her brother. Her hand moved fast enough to knock him out quickly, his body crumpling into the dirt as she brought the wall down.

‘Fine. But I’m setting ground rules.’

 

The Jet wasn’t what she was expecting. Her brother was curled up on her lap, fluffy head seated on her thighs, her hand idly stroking in a soothing motion. The group were relatively silent, not all of them were here, but it was enough to start the message.

‘What rules?’ The Captain finally asked, sitting opposite her.

‘No experimenting, no blood taking, no probing with needles. No touching either. Personal questions are fine, but I won’t always answer.’ Will stirred, sounding slightly pained, so she brushed his head softly, a golden glow falling from her hand as she touched the injuries. He nuzzled into her hand, making her smile slightly.

‘Sleep, dear. I’ve got you.’ She muttered, remembering the last time they had been like this.

‘How old is Will?’

‘Twenty seven. We met when our mother sold us to HYDRA, having never known each other before. Will was special, his mind was amazing, and they hoped that he would submit to them. I broke him out when he was seventeen.’ She could see they were wondering how an eleven year old girl broke someone out of HYDRA, but they didn’t ask.

‘You’re married?’

‘Was. It was forced, by HYDRA, who married me to the Commander’s son. He may hate me slightly.’

‘Why?’

‘I ripped his throat out with my teeth.’ She said honestly, watching as her brother stirred once more. His whimpered, body tensing as if he were in a nightmare.

‘Hush, good dreams.’ More golden light, enough to make him still before a drop of blood hit her hand. Her nose was bleeding again, and she sighed as she pressed fabric to it.

‘Does it do that often?’

‘Only when I spend too much energy. If I wasn’t half super-soldier, I’d be dead.’ Gen risked a quick glance in the direction of her biological father, a mixture of emotions that she didn’t comprehend swirling around.

‘Why no blood taking?’ The shudder was involuntary, the remembrance of what HYDRA had attempted to do was not one she often thought of. Steve got the hint, telling her she should rest while they flew back. He handed her a blanket, one she used to cover her brother.


	4. Losing Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gen loses something dear to her, and tells a story

*Compound*

Gen was shown to her room, before she joined the others in the kitchen. Her brother wasn’t present, which was odd. He had woken when the Jet had landed, looking to Tony with an utter hatred. The team sat around in the living room, each staring at her with a different emotion. Gen sat on the stool, tapping her foot cautiously until her head raised as someone walked in. Unfortunately, it wasn’t her brother. It was, however, someone she recognised all to well from her training. Loki Laufeyson, a sorcerer way above her skill level.

‘This is her?’ He inquired, stalking across this room. His Seidr seemed to reach for her, she could see the magic pulsing around him. He seemed equally surprised, pausing in front of her before speaking in Asgardian, similar to Norse.

‘How do you know our magic?’

‘I was taught. I’m a polyglot, languages came naturally and magic is like a language.’ He regarded her with interest, before turning his head to the second person that came in. Tall, blond, staring at Loki with concern.

‘Thor, look! A human child who can speak our language. She knows Seidr, brother!’ He spoke in Asgardian, Gen picking up on the words and the excitement that Loki was showing. His brother looked at her, surprise across the stubbled face, before smiling.

‘Loki, use the human tongue. It is not fair to the Midgardians.’ Loki pouted, rolling his eyes at his brother but accepting the term.

‘You must be Lady Genevieve.’ Thor offered his hand, Gen staring at it hesitantly. She may have touched Steve, but in all fairness he was so madly in love with her father that he wasn’t a risk. Loki bashed his brother’s hand away, giving him a look that told him not to be so stupid. Thor shot me an apologetic look, before taking his seat.

‘Genevieve, we will wait for your brother before we start.’ Steve stated, looking nervous.  Gen didn’t really want to know what would happen, what questions they might ask. Her gaze turned across to a dark-haired woman, a telepath, who was studying her. Her power was a lot more stable, Gen could feel her probing at her mind. One glance, and the woman stopped, apologising aloud.

Genevieve turned, feeling that sinking feeling in her stomach. She stood, stunning half of the group as she scanned each for weapons.

‘Are the windows bullet proof?’

‘Nuke-proof.’ Stark remarked, looking at her with concern. She spun, trying to figure out what was happening as her hands started to glow golden. It was Seidr, responding to her fear, the lack of training showing as she tried to figure it out. The gun-shot sounded, and her heart went cold.

‘Will.’ She ran, ran as fast her legs could take her, banging on the door when she couldn’t unlock it. Stark was trying to unlock it, but he had overridden FRIDAY. The magic she pushed into the door splintered it, as well as shattering one of her wrists, but she ignored the stabbing pain as she ran into the room. It wasn’t exactly the best view, Will’s blonde hair stained red and his head tipped back, the gun still in his hand.

The Seidr threatened to flatten the entire room until arms wrapped around her, sucking the energy from her system. She was aware that she was screaming thrashing against the Seidr master that was holding her magic in place, Stark and Banner moving forwards before shaking their heads. Arms wrapped under her thighs, scooping her up and dragging her from the room. Words such as Tank, Hulk and Quarantine flickered through as she was carried to a room that was thick glass surrounded by a padded room. The person carried her inside, placed her down on the floor and walked out, the door sealing behind her.

It was quiet. Her body had stopped glowing, nose had stopped bleeding from the effort of magic that threatened to escape. Will was dead. Will had shot himself, and she had known his mind was vulnerable, yet she had left him alone after finding the man that had been responsible for the death of their mother.

‘Ready to not blow me up?’ She rose her head, staring at the man in the suit. Stark looked slightly uncomfortable, but still stared at her with concern. Gen shifted, sitting up as he wandered into the cell.

‘We couldn’t do anything. Now, how about you tell me what happened to your mother.’ It was him asking if he was responsible. She could see the guilt, it probably mirrored her own.

‘Emmeline. I was fourteen, Will was twenty. She wasn’t exactly the best mother, I’m sure you can understand a wayward parent.’ His eyebrows raised at the open defiance, but didn’t speak as she continued.

‘A man came to speak to her, someone working under your company’s name. Claimed he was on business, needed a little… extra-curricular fun. Our mother ran a series of brothels that worked in collaboration with HYDRA, he claimed interest in one of the workers. Refused to pay, mother threatened him, and he shot her.’ Personally, Gen wasn’t too bothered by the death of their mother. But when Will had found out…

‘I don’t understand. I thought you helped Will escape when you were eleven? Weren’t you with HYDRA when this would have happened?’ The man, for supposedly being smart, was actually quite thick.

‘Jesus, Stark. I thought you were smart?’ He looked confused, inquiring as to why he was being thick. She sighed, looking away curiously as her magic flickered.

‘My mother told HYDRA from the moment that I was born that I was the daughter of the Winter Soldier. With half enhanced abilities, they decided that the best thing to do was to see if they could enhance them. It was a pre-attempt to the serum used to enhance the Maximoff twins. My mother worked with HYDRA, so volunteered me for the experiments. Unfortunately, at eleven when I helped Will escape my mother decided to save me from the inevitable death I would face due to my disobeying. Threatening to strap me to the electric chair next to my father, they instead sent me to one of the brothels my mother ran. Seen as… ironic. They ran the experiments alongside, trying to copy the trigger words like they did with the Winter Soldier. Unfortunately for them, being a polyglot meant I could understand more than they could teach, and I started training in some slightly unlawful magic to try and defend myself. After blowing up three brothels, they sent me to the chair to try and implement the training James had.’ She paused, banishing the flames that threatened to race up her arms.

‘I was sixteen when they married me to Jacob. Seventeen when I used magic to heal myself for the first time after they tried to kill me. Eighteen when I murdered my husband, nineteen when I ran. Two years spent fleeing, training, and then here I am.’ She gestured around, the familiar ache returning as she remembered that the reason she was here was because she was James’s daughter, which also meant that Will being dead was her fault.

Tony tried to apologise, to pity her, but she brushed him away, stating that she wished to remain alone. He left, although there was some hesitation, leaving her to drown in thoughts.


	5. Piano

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonding between Gen and Thor

Gen rose her head, watching as the woman stalked in. Natasha Romanoff, an assassin, who stared at her with a blank face.

‘So, you’re Bucky’s daughter.’

‘So they tell me.’ Gen quipped, adjusting her position to face the woman. Not that much older than she was, yet Gen was struggling to get a read on her. After all, she was aware of Natasha’s history with James. It made her want to ask, but she also valued her head on her shoulders.

‘Are you going to ruin the Compound if I let you out?’ What an inspirational question, Gen thought, shaking her head as the door opened. Ignoring Natasha, she walked off in the direction of the room she had been allocated, figuring that it would be the best shot of ignoring these people. Turns out the place was a lot more confusing, she quickly figured out that the A.I. system stalked her wherever she went, meaning that they could track her. Try as she might, her Seidr wasn’t working that well either. Gen knew that she could try and use her mutation to protect herself from their view, but it may make them less trusting.

She was alone in her room when a knock on the door sounded, a very hesitant Steve poking his head round the door.

‘Hey kid, thought you might be hungry.’ In his hands was a pizza box, smelling absolutely delicious, and she hesitantly invited him in. He was cautious, taking the seat furthest from her and offering the box. It was silent as she started eating, watching him with amusement as he tried to figure out the best thing to say.

‘They sent you because they think I find you less threatening.’ He looked up, obviously trying to think of a good cover lie before he sighed. It was only in that moment that Gen could see how old he actually was, the worry lines on his forehead indicating how much he struggled.

‘They thought… because of Bucky and I…’ He trailed off, but Gen understood. He wasn’t threatening because of his obvious infatuation with her father, meaning he wouldn’t hurt her. At least, not in that way. Whether or not he thought she should stay here was a different matter.

‘It’s okay Steve, you don’t have to explain.’ She finished her second slice, giving the smallest smile to the man. Growing up in HYDRA, she had learnt a lot about him. The man that put the mission before everything, but sacrificed all that when Bucky was found. It was because of him that her father was no longer under the control of HYDRA, that the command words no longer worked.

‘What do you think of Natasha?’ He finally asked, a question probably aimed at trying to find the woman she was most likely to talk to. The issue was, both women in the compound were too close to HYDRA for her to be happy.

‘She seems okay. I feel like it would be awkward to be close, considering her and James’ history.’ My refusal to call him Bucky aloud was picked up on by the Super Soldier, but he didn’t say anything else.

‘You know about that?’ He questioned, his eyes watching as she took another slice of pizza. She offered him one, smirking slightly as he accepted, before Gen settled back on the bed against the wall.

‘I grew up on stories of the Winter Soldier, I know a lot.’

‘What about Wanda?’ The Maximoff, the only one considering the other had died. Part of that could be her fault, she supposed, considering the serum was attempted on her first.

‘Her powers are my fault, I believe it would make for awkward conversation.’ Steve looked like he wanted to argue, but obviously thought better of it. It was silent for a moment, before he continued.

‘Well, I’m always here if you want to talk.’ Trying not to show the shock, she shrugged instead.

‘Anything I can get you?’ He inquired, standing up as he walked to the door. Gen paused, before her mind flitted to one thing that would help her calm down.

‘Does this place have a piano?’ After being informed that there was one on the third floor, she thanked her almost-family and watched him leave, wondering if he would chuck her out when she had recovered from the loss of Will. The walk to the room wasn’t too long, the A.I. showed her the way by lighting up the floor, the room a nice plain cream colour. A Grand Piano stood in the corner, something that she hadn’t had the opportunity to play in such a long time. Tracing the keys, Gen sat down on the seat and paused. Will was gone, HYDRA knew she was with the Avengers, her father hadn’t yet spoken to her and Steve was like an almost-Uncle.

‘You play?’ She rose her head to the voice, although she had felt the faintest thread of magic before he had walked in. The Hunk of Blond walked in, his eyes scanning her face as if waiting for her to flee. He seemed serious, although she could see the playfulness in his one working eye. Thor was anything but scary, in an odd way, he was more friendly.

‘It’s been a while.’ She pressed down on one of the keys, feeling the note spread. Thor looked intrigued, stepping closer and shutting the door. It should have terrified her, but instead she just rose her head.

‘I never learnt to play, but my mother knew how. As does Loki, he has a talent for such things.’ He looked almost disappointed in himself, as if he wanted to be more like the two of them. From what she had heard, Gen knew that he was more a warrior than anything else, but maybe he didn’t want to be.

‘Anyone can play. Come here, I’ll show you.’ He moved forwards, taking a seat next to her. It was slightly too close for comfort, but she showed him where to put his hands anyway, not noticing the hum that spread through her at the thought of playing again. His hands were large, clumsy over the keys, and she couldn’t help but laugh at the wounded puppy look on his face.

‘No, I’m not laughing at you, Thor. Here.’ She placed her hands carefully over his, Seidr twisting over them so they stayed joined, and then she started to play. Nuvole Bianche, a piece she had learnt to play from the age of five, played by Thor’s hands with her knowledge. He gasped as the music started to play, her hands moving his carefully over the keys as her feet worked the pedals. She stopped after the introduction, dropping the binding spell and smirking.

‘Show me.’ She chuckled, watching him stand up and lean across the piano. Gen took the hint, having a love of playing, and started the song again. This time she allowed herself to feel it, allowed the music to take over what she was playing, her body rocking in time with the keys. Thor watched in fascination as her fingers sped up, Gen smiling softly as the music grew louder, echoing through the room. Her body moved with the song, the smile growing to a full-out grin as she continued. It was like she wasn’t in the room, but back in the Hall where she had learnt to play, her tutor watching over her carefully as she played.

It was a piece she and Will had played countless times, sometimes together, other times in harmony. It would be their refuge, music would be their safety. She continued to play, fingers hitting keys harder as the song built, aware that tears were threatening to fall from her eyes as she played, ignoring them in favour of finishing the tune. When she hit the final key, she looked up at Thor with a grin.

‘Good, huh?’ He chuckled, humming thoughtfully as he smiled.

‘Do you sing?’ It was a question that made her pause, looking up at him with curiosity.

‘Why do you ask?’

‘Your music abilities, one would assume you could sing as well.’ Genevieve paused, she hadn’t sung to anyone other than Will in such a long time.

Preparing the song in her head, she turned her attention back to the keys. Simple chords to begin with, but it was easy enough to play.

_‘On the first page, of our story. The future, seemed so bright. Then the saints turned out, so evil. I don’t know why I’m, still surprised.’_

It was an easy song, sad and miserable, rather like Gen was feeling. Thor didn’t comment on her choice as she sung, her fingers playing the music as her voice matched the tempo. He didn’t speak until the end, when she finally looked up.

‘You have an incredible voice.’

‘Why thank you.’ She snarked, but smiled at Thor anyway. He excused himself, leaving her alone in the room with the piano. Maybe this place wasn’t as bad as she had first thought.


	6. Gym

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gen meets Peter. People spy.

*Kitchen*

‘Are you sure she’s Bucky’s daughter?’ Tony quipped, having re-watched the piano scene with the rest of the Avengers. Thor sat awkwardly on the chair, having had to explain that he had gone to speak to her. Nobody asked why, although Tony figured it was because of Loki’s new-found fascination with her. She played the piano well, sung even better, but Tony could see that Bucky was hesitant to speak about his child.

‘Shut it, Stark.’ Steve stated, having already grown protective over the kid. He was taking Uncle-duty way to seriously, but it was better than her having nobody.

‘Mr Stark, Miss Barnes has just entered the gym.’ Maybe she was Bucky’s kid, he thought. The group was unsure of how to handle the new girl. On the one hand, she was the daughter of an Avenger and had abilities that would make her powerful in the wrong hands. On the other hand, she was a girl who had obviously had a less than pleasant life, and had just lost her brother. She had saved Rogers without even thinking about it, had jumped into a battle against HYDRA without flinching, but had a softer side. She was a polyglot, her IQ was incredibly high, and she was a talented musician. Twenty-one, just an adult, one who had seen so much already.

‘Perhaps Pepper could get through to her?’ Sam suggested, gaining a couple of nods from the team. Tony didn’t really like the idea of his fiancée near the Mini-Barnes, but he also knew the girl needed help. Maybe Pepper would be ideal, she had a soft spot for Peter, this could be similar. Speaking of the Spiderling…

‘Mr Stark, Mr Parker has just entered the building, and is heading towards the gym.’ Heads shot up, the kid was one that the team had grown fond of, even through his excessive rambling. The idea of the mini-Barnes running into him was not a good one.

‘Friday, tell Peter to come here.’

‘Mr Stark, Mr Parker is with Miss Barnes.’ Tony quickly turned on the cameras, usually keeping them off for privacy, but decided that if she was a risk to Peter he needed to check. The screens flicked on, the group staring at the scene.

 

*Gym*

‘Woah, sorry, I didn’t know anyone was in here.’ The boy babbled, and Gen rose her head in amusement. Placing down the weights, she gave a small smile.

‘No problem. Name’s Genevieve, Gen is fine.’ Walking across to the frame, she stretched up and took the pole. It was something she had done many times during her training, using your body weight to jump from slot to slot up to the top of the room. There were marks on the side with names, presumably from where people had got to. It was quite tall, the top mark was that of her father’s, eleven swings up.

‘Peter Parker. Spiderman.’ He boasted, apparently comfortable with her. She raised an eyebrow, before a smirk spread across her lips. This would be funny.

‘Oh yeah, you’re the guy that webbed up my father.’

‘Father…?’ The boy stuttered, watching as she rubbed the talcum powder to her skin. The blinking red light in the corner of the room told her the cameras were on, but she chose to ignore it.

‘James Barnes?’ She inquired, gripping the pole and judging the strength needed to beat her father’s record. Steve was the one below, which was amusing. The two would be a cute couple if they could admit their feelings.

‘The Winter Soldier is your dad?’ Peter wandered across and sat on the weight rack, apparently intrigued. Gen nodded, before she began. The muscles in her stomach coiled as she swung her weight, her arms complaining at the strain of jumping up the levels. The strain started when she reached Natasha’s point, but she pushed past to reach Steve’s, before her body threatened to fail. Her arms ached, she could hear Peter’s gasp, which pushed her to her father’s level. With one last swing, the pole moved again, hitting the next one up. Unfortunately, failure really wasn’t something she was looking for, so she pushed again. And again, until on the next push her arms failed her. Together, her and the pole dropped the distance. The pole crashed to the floor, Gen however had been expecting the fall. Her legs crumbled, body rolling to absorb the impact and she stood, admiring the height she had reached.

‘Yeah.’ The door swung open, Steve walking in.

‘Tony wants you.’ Peter didn’t hesitate, sprinting from the room and leaving the two in the room. Steve looked up at the level she had reached, Gen ignoring his stare as she returned the pole.

‘Fancy sparring?’ Gen watched Steve look surprised at his own words, as if he hadn’t thought he would ask her. She cocked an eyebrow, walking across to the padded floor. He followed, although looked hesitant. Suddenly regretting the hoodie she had slipped over her, she tugged it off. If Steve noted the scars littering her back, or the laceration around her neck, he didn’t comment.

‘Give it your best shot, old man.’ She beckoned him forwards, watching the way he carried his weight as he approached. For a second, Gen pondered on whether or not James remembered fighting her like this when she was younger. If he did, he hadn’t mentioned it.

The first punch was easy to block, using her strength she sent him stumbling to the floor past her. He was trying to be gentle, which was sweet and all, but she was fully capable of handling herself.

‘Come on Steve, I’m not going to break.’ The next hit landed, but she was quick to right herself. It was a similar technique to that of her father, although he was lacking the metal hand. Moving fast enough to almost blur, she sparred perfectly with him, enjoying the slight smile that crossed his face. Sending him sprawling to the floor, he grabbed her ankle and pulled her down. Legs moved to pressure points, Gen aiming to keep the Soldier down, but his hand brushed over her lower back.  Nothing bad, but enough that she tensed, and not for the fight. He noticed, his hand moving immediately to her arms instead to shove her off, the two scrabbling until she got him in a hold. Gen grinned victoriously, feeling the Super Soldier struggle under her, before he eventually tapped out.

Unscrambling herself, she stood up and watched him do the same. Slightly flushed, but he looked pleased, as if he hadn’t expected the strength that came from her.

‘You’re good.’

‘You’re not too bad yourself, old man.’ He actually smiled, a sincere one, before Gen claimed she needed a shower and left the gym. It wasn’t a lie, she smelt of sweat. The shower was nice, although upon walking back into her room in just underwear, a woman was seated on her bed. The woman looked surprised, eyes scanning her body before she met her eyes. Gen didn’t speak yet, grabbing clothes and tugging them on.

‘Pepper, I’m presuming.’

‘You must be Gen, Tony told me about you.’ A warmth radiated from her voice, but there was also the slight tremble as if she was afraid of her. Gen tried not to feel annoyed at that, but in all fairness this woman wasn’t an Avenger, even if she dealt with Tony.

‘I would say good things, but there aren’t many.’ Pepper actually laughed at that, before she offered a smile.

‘I was hoping that you would agree to a shopping trip in the morning. I thought we could get you some clothes, spend some time together?’ She was about to decline, to tell the woman that she didn’t need anyone mothering her, let alone a woman that had been asked to do it. Instead, Gen found herself accepting the invitation, promising to be up and ready to leave at ten. Although she then refused the offer for dinner, claiming she needed sleep. Pepper didn’t argue, apparently happy with the shopping trip. That left Gen to stare at the door as it shut, wondering what exactly she had got herself into.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last pre-written chapter, do you want more?


End file.
